Posts Tagged ‘volvo news’

The Simonovski family is one of the first two to participate in Volvo's Drive Me program.

Volvo’s tapping the brakes on its Drive Me test program in Sweden as it believes the technology is not quite ready for humans.

It was expected to yield big results when its introduced in 2014. Designed to get real people, in Sweden, behind the wheel of autonomous vehicles for additional testing, the program is being slowed down after engineers decided the program wasn’t ready for prime time.

Safety News!

Initially, Volvo said that 100 self-driving cars would be made available for members of the public to drive on the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden, the automaker’s hometown, by the end of this year. (more…)

Volvo' first offering from its Polestar high performance division, the Polestar 1, will be built at its new plant in China.

Polestar, the new electric performance brand of Volvo Cars, announced the initial launch markets for its first car, the Polestar 1, in the United States and China and Western Europe.

Since its launch in October, Polestar has seen customers line up for the new Polestar 1 subscription with both performance enthusiast and electric car fans depleting the early production slots available.

Global Auto News!

By offering its vehicles, starting with the Volvo XC40 for a flat monthly subscription, Polestar expects to step away from the old-school, dealer-focused method of selling cars and adopted the model used to great success by Netflix and Spotify. (more…)

The Volvo XC60 was named Japan Car of the Year, beating out some formidable competition.

In a close vote count that saw the lead change three times between the XC60, beat out the BMW 5-Series and the closest Japanese competitor, the Toyota Camry, the XC60 pulled away at the end polling 294 votes.

Product News!

The XC60 finished some 52 votes in front of the 5-Series and 62 votes ahead of the Camry. (more…)

Volvo CEO Anders Gustafsson and Heith Rogers talk as Rogers signed up for an XC40 through the Care by Volvo plan at the L.A. Auto Show.

This story contains updated information.

Volvo buyers who want to skip the hassle of negotiating a deal on the 2018 XC40 will be able to sign up for the new Care by Volvo subscription plan and, for a flat $600 a month, get not only the compact SUV but also their insurance, title and other fees, as well as repairs and maintenance thrown in, as well.

Volvo is betting that, in an era when consumers are shifting more and more to monthly subscription models, some car buyers will also look forward to having a set price covering all their transportation expenses but for gasoline.

Auto Show News!

The automaker had announced the Care program several months ago but only revealed pricing this week during a news conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It demonstrated the ease of the process by having buyer Heith Rogers sign up for a new Volvo XC40 subscription on stage. It took the Los Angeles resident less than 10 minutes to lock things down. (more…)

Volvo' first offering from its Polestar high performance division, the Polestar 1, will be built at its new plant, which is under construction, in China.

Polestar, the Volvo Group’s in-house brand for performance and electrified vehicles, has taken another step forward in its development with the announcement it will build its new factory in China.

The construction of its new state-of-the-art Polestar Production Center has already started in Chengdu, China, where the company’s first model, the Polestar 1, will be produced.

A Real Performer!

The announcement comes in the wake of the reorganization of the Polestar brand, which prior to this fall had been geared to feeding performance parts to enthusiasts interested in tuning up their personal Volvos. (more…)

An autonomous Volvo XC90 used by Uber in San Francisco. The original test was cut short when Uber refused to get a state permit.

Uber will purchase as many as 24,000 XC90 sport-utility vehicles from Volvo as part of its push to become an autonomous and, eventually, a fully driverless ride-sharing service.

The Swedish automaker previously provided a small number of XC90 s for autonomous pilot programs Uber operated in several cities, including San Francisco and Phoenix. The non-exclusive and non-binding deal would take things a giant step forward and allow Uber to launch autonomous operations on a commercial level starting in 2019.

Tech News!

“This new agreement puts us on a path towards mass produced self-driving vehicles at scale,” said Jeff Miller, Uber’s head of auto alliances, adding that he was “thrilled” to expand the ride-sharing service’s alliance with Chinese-owned Volvo.

Volvo unveiled its first offering from its Polestar high performance division, the Polestar 1.

Polestar, the performance arm of Swedish automaker Volvo, rolled out its first electrified model during a ceremony in Beijing on Tuesday, the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1.

Originally formed as a race car team, Polestar began producing high-performance versions of Volvo products like C30 and S60 a decade ago. Polestar Performance was purchased by Volvo in 2015 and is now focusing exclusively on sportier models relying on battery-based drivetrains. An all-electric Polestar model targeting the Tesla Model 3 is now in development, the company said.

Performance News!

While Volvo itself now plans to shift exclusively to battery-based drivetrains, “There will be a clear difference between the two brands that add to each other in a very good way,” Thomas Ingenlath, the former head of Volvo design who was named Polestar CEO in June, told the Associated Press. (more…)

The Volvo V90 may be the leader of the pack when it comes to the resurgent station wagon segment.

Don’t look now but the station wagon is quietly making something of a comeback.

It might not be a huge comeback and a fair number of manufacturers are loath to even mention the words “station wagon” in their various sales pitches. However, with the appearance of the V90, Volvo is definitely embracing the station wagon.

Reviews You Can Use!

Moreover, the V90 is hardly a retro-vehicle eager to get in touch with some kind Mad Men-era chic. Instead it’s a fully updated vehicle with a luxurious interior and an exterior that completely re-invents the appearance with fresh lines, curves and angles kept well within envelope traditionally occupied by station wagon with its low but elongated profile. (more…)

Volvo is enjoying strong sales in the U.S. with products like the XC90, which will now be built in Charleston, South Carolina, starting in 2021.

Volvo now plans to produce its most popular vehicle in the United States with the XC90 set to start rolling off the Swedish maker’s new Charleston, South Carolina assembly plant in 2021.

The announcement also confirms that Volvo will double the size of the facility, which was originally intended to produce the mid-range S60 sedan when it goes into operation next year. The expansion will bring the total cost of the Charleston complex to $1.1 billion, about $520 million more than was originally announced. And it will now employ nearly 4,000 hourly and salaried workers.

Product News!

The expansion, which was first reported earlier this month by TheDetroitBureau.com, “underscores our commitment to the United States,” said Lex Kerssemakers, who served as CEO of Volvo Cars North America until Sept. 15. He is now heading European operations. (more…)

Mercedes is one of the automakers getting set to expand U.S. operations and create new jobs.

If you’re looking for a job at an auto assembly plant, hang tight, there will be thousands of new openings over the next several years. But for now, you might want to look elsewhere.

The auto industry was one of the sparks that helped set fire to the U.S. economy after the Great Recession, and since just the beginning of the year, manufacturers ranging BMW to Volvo have announced plans to add at least 12,000 new jobs as they add new U.S. assembly plants or expand existing ones.